Casey Lloyd receives Lifetime Achievement Award at Hall of Fame ceremony
For the first time ever, the Lifetime Achievement award was given to Casey Lloyd, MSU’s play-by-play announcer and honored as “The Voice of the Mavericks” for over 50 years.
Minnesota State University, Mankato hosted its 45th annual Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Dinner on Friday, Sept. 23 in the Centennial Student Union Ballroom where coaches and alumni celebrated.
Honoring excellence in athletics, the ceremony aims to shed light on those who have made outstanding contributions to MSU Athletics. Whether it’s donating time, breaking school records or being a positive light within the MSU community, the inductees will be in the MSU books forever.
“The hall of fame ceremony is a special evening, as we honor the legends of the past and those who have had a profound impact on the program. There is no bigger stage we can offer than Homecoming weekend,” Kevin Buisman, MSU’s director of athletics, said.
This year’s ceremony was sold out and was the largest such crowd in MSU history with about 250 guests.
Holding the title of “The Voice of the Mavericks,” Lloyd served as the official play-by-play announcer for over 50 years dating all the way back to the 1970s. The MSU alumni received his undergraduate degree and worked for KMSU, MSU’s campus radio station, which has been broadcasting since the 1960s.
“I walk onto a court and the energy that one picks up from this place, and the students it’s just amazing. I might feel like ‘Oh I don’t know if I want to do this game tonight,’ but, you walk onto this campus and you are just overcome by the potential of these athletes and students,” Lloyd said. “It’s not a job, I just love it. Half a century later and I don’t know how that happened, I guess I’m just lucky.”
Jefferson Mason along with his teammates were among those honored and inducted into the 2022 Hall of Fame. He thanked those who had supported him during the 2010-11 memorable season as there is no “I” in “Team.”
“For me, it was easy to get on the court and know that the ball would come my way. What was hard was the players that came to practice every day not knowing if they were going to get in the game,” Mason said. “They were the ones who sacrificed the most and made the choice to help the team in every way, without those guys, we wouldn’t have had the success we had that year and I would not be standing up here today.”
During Troy Szdel’s speech, Brock Margenthaler, the son of MSU’s head basketball coach Matt Margenthaler, had a medical emergency that stopped the event. It was later determined that he was OK.
As the event proceeded those who were honored included, Josh Smith (baseball), Alex Shepp (basketball), Mavis Anderson (MSU administration) for the builders’ category, Deb Schulz (MSU administration) for the builders’ category, the 2010-11 men’s basketball team, the Hockey Day Minnesota Local Organizing Committee and Jim Grabianowski (who works as a goal judge for men’s hockey games.)
Those who were inducted were invited to be honored at the halftime game during the Homecoming football game Saturday, Sept. 24 at Blakeslee Stadium.
Header Photo: For the first time ever, the Lifetime Achievement award was given to Casey Lloyd, MSU’s play-by-play announcer and honored as “The Voice of the Mavericks” for over 50 years. (Dylan Engel/The Reporter)
Write to Julia Barton at Julia.Barton@mnsu.edu